Coronial Services

This website will give you a general idea of what you can expect to happen when a death is referred to a coroner.

Police always inform a coroner when someone dies unexpectedly, violently or in suspicious circumstances. If a general practitioner (GP) or doctor is unsure what caused a person’s death, they will report it to the coroner.

The coroner will find out when, where, how and why the death happened. They’ll also work out whether anything can be done differently so that similar deaths can be prevented.

The Coroners Court is made up of the Chief Coroner and up to 20 coroners, with support from the Coronial Services Unit at the Ministry of Justice.